NEW YORK (AP) -- Heath Bell spun around and pumped his fist afterthe final out, finishing off four hitless innings by the proudPadres bullpen.

Redemption.

"It was just nice to go out there and go 1-2-3," Bell said. "Itwas more just for the whole bullpen. Like, there we go, we'reback on track."

Cameron Maybin homered and stole two bases before scoring thetiebreaking run on an error by substitute shortstop RubenTejada, rallying San Diego past the New York Mets 3-2 onThursday for a split of their four-game series.

Bell pitched a perfect ninth and the last-place Padres improvedto 5-2 on a 10-game road trip that takes them to Cincinnati thisweekend.

"We're doing awesome," Bell said. "The bullpen, if we hadn'tmade mistakes on Monday and Tuesday we wouldn't have lost onthis road trip yet. So we're feeling pretty good aboutourselves."

Lucas Duda hit a two-run double for the Mets, who managed onlythree hits and went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.New York finished 3-6 on a disappointing homestand and has losteight of 11 overall.

With the Mets short on rested relievers, Jonathon Niese (11-9)matched his career high with 122 pitches. He outlasted CoryLuebke in a matchup of young left-handers from Ohio, butcouldn't hold an early 2-0 lead.

The score was tied in the eighth when Maybin hit a leadoffsingle and stole second on a pickoff throw to first. Duda's tosswas a bit late to Tejada, subbing for injured Jose Reyes, andthe Mets didn't get the call on a close play when Tejada taggedMaybin's shoulder.

"I was just telling myself, I've got to make something happen,"Maybin said. "I got a good enough jump and was blessed with goodenough speed to get in there."

Niese, who pitched a one-hitter against San Diego at Citi Fieldlast year for his only major league shutout, put his hands onhis head, knowing he had a tough chore ahead.

After the game, Maybin said he was safe. Tejada thought he gothim.

"That's the name of the game, man. Sometimes you've got to tryto force the issue a little bit and I was able to do so and itworked out," Maybin said.

One out later, Jesus Guzman was intentionally walked and therunners pulled off a double steal as Kyle Blanks struck out.Aaron Cunningham hit a grounder wide of third and Tejada chargedin, trying to scoop it on his forehand. But the ball kicked offthe heel of his glove, allowing Maybin to score.

"You have to make that play," Tejada said.

San Diego started the series with the best bullpen ERA in themajors. After coughing up late leads in each of the first twogames, the relief corps closed this one out without muchtrouble.

"We could have easily swept these guys if we were on our A gameon Monday and Tuesday, but unfortunately we weren't," Bell said."We just felt really bad that we kind of let the guys down andwe didn't want that to happen again today. We were like men onmissions. We were determined to have clean innings and keeppeople out and have no drama out there."

Chad Qualls (6-6) worked a perfect seventh, Luke Gregersonpitched the eighth and Bell converted his 32nd save in 35chances.

"Basically the first three games they always just kept fightingback, scratching and crawling, doing something. So it was niceto just keep 'em out of it," Qualls said. "To get back to theway we've all been throwing the ball is a good feeling."

Maybin homered in the sixth and Cunningham lofted a doubletoward the right-field line to begin the seventh. A two-outsingle by No. 8 batter Luis Martinez tied it at 2.

"This team's resilient," Padres manager Bud Black said. "It's alot of young players now that I think are coming to the ballparkfresh and excited to start a new day."

Luebke threw 109 pitches over five innings. He walked acareer-high four and struck out eight, one shy of the careerhigh he set in his previous outing at Pittsburgh.

The 21-year-old Tejada, who turned in a spectacular playWednesday night, made a throwing error to begin the third.Moments later, he started a difficult double play.

"I'm going to talk to him in a little while because he's theshortstop," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's why webrought him here, because we want him to play shortstop everyday until Jose comes back, and he's got to let this roll off hisback. We're going to turn to some older guys to make sure hismind's in the right place."

New York hitting coach Dave Hudgens was ejected by plate umpireVic Carapazza for barking about balls and strikes from thedugout after Nick Evans was called out on strikes with the basesloaded to end the fifth.

NOTES: Padres 2B Orlando Hudson missed his second consecutivegame with a strained right groin. Logan Forsythe started in hisplace. ... Black rested SS Jason Bartlett, who grounded out as apinch-hitter to end the seventh. ... Wright singled in thefifth, establishing a Mets record with 2,048 career total bases.... New York CF Angel Pagan sat out after leaving Wednesdaynight's loss because of a lower back spasm. Scott Hairstonstarted in center, and batted leadoff for the first time thisseason. ... The Mets have made 12 errors in their last ninegames. ... The teams meet again next week for a three-gameseries in San Diego.

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